Arbitration
by THE REVIEWING MASTER
Summary: The Death-Book-Mark. Placing it in a human's book halts their cinematic record, prolonging their life. But what can happen if it had originally been placed in the book of a human who was now a shinigami? (Grell/Undertaker)(Grell/William)(William/Undertaker)
1. Prologue- Fatality

***Disclaimer*- I don't own Kuroshitsuji.**

**Author's Note: Alright, this story was made because I needed a story where Grelliam made it to the end. However, it's kind of sad anyways , so yeah, I'm warning you ahead of time.**

**Pairing: Starts off with Grell/Undertaker. Grell/William and William/Undertaker in later chapters.**

**Warning: May contain explicit content in later chapters. I'll give another warning when it does.**

**Extra Notes: This prologue and Author-Note-Thingy have been revised. Reviews would be appreciated, so I know what you think of it, whether or not I've made any mistakes, and what is expected of me. Or at least what you guys expect. I do write for you guys. ; )**

* * *

**Prologue**

_"We whither away like dust, _

_We crumble to pieces like sand._

_And even while death is beautiful, _

_I can no longer hold your hand."_

As he stood high on top of the houses singing to himself, hiding behind the chimney, he watched the young human. The silver-haired being knew how to hide well, and that's just what he did. It was true he liked it when they didn't see him coming… at least not at first. But as soon as he was upon them, he pounced, dispatching them quickly to either Heaven or Hell. He never knew where they went, since that wasn't his job.

His job was simply to reap their souls. Ferry them from this world to the next.

_Just act like it's another reaping… _he thought to himself as he walked slowly to the edge of the building, peering down. Some reapers took their jobs seriously… he didn't, of course. He didn't find any need to.

Which is why he wasn't at all worried about his next decision.

_Yes, this is the one… I'll just let the wonderful young beauty go…_ he stared at the little human with the ivory skin and bright red hair. He seemed innocent in all his humanness, all his glory…_yes, the higher-ups won't miss this one._ It was just another human… so what if he lived? Surely, no one would notice.

The man carefully stepped away from the edge of the roof, pulling out a book from his jacket. As he did so, he also pulled out a small bookmark, and placed it neatly in the pages, flattening it, where it would now remain there for all eternity. The human wouldn't die tonight, in fact he would just grow to an old age and die from a natural cause. The man wondered why he was doing this... perhaps out of love? No, of course not. Maybe out of nostalgia? But that only brought to question, nostalgia for what?

_But I wouldn't want such a beautiful creature to perish so soon._ Chuckling, he spun around and took off over the roofs, getting ready to file his reports, leaving behind the red-head on the ground.

He deemed it wasn't the young one's time just yet, so it simply wasn't his time.

_But everyone dies someday. _

_Even an immortal such as yourself._


	2. Chapter 1- Sinking

It was another ordinary day at the office.

At least that is what William was thinking as he walked in that morning, heading to his small office where he would spend the next hour writing and finishing paperwork, sorting paperwork, analyzing paperwork, filing it and sending it out. Spend the next hour doing all that, meanwhile trying to keep his subordinates in check.

Like the red-haired menace sitting on the couch in the lounge.

"Mr. Sutcliff, get to work." William's voice was cold as he walked briskly past. Grell Sutcliff was on the couch, in the arms of Undertaker, and both of them tossed annoyed looks at Will.

"Awe, William, come on-"

"Work. Now." As William turned down a hallway and stepped into his office, he wondered why Undertaker was even there. He was retired, wasn't he? He didn't have business here…

_Or perhaps you are jealous_? William, jealous? Never. Jealous over the fact that his coworker, the out-going and gorgeous Grell spent most of his free time, and even then all his work time with that man? No, never, because if William said he wasn't jealous… then apparently he wasn't jealous.

Meanwhile, as William lied to himself in his office while going over files, Grell got up.

"Sorry, darling, but I really do need to catch up on work…"

"Work? You've never worried about that before." Undertaker tried to tug him back down onto his lap, but Grell resisted.

"I don't want to; I mean, I'd spend all day with you if I could. But I really need to get to work, or William will take away my scythe or something…"

"William's a stuck-up pompous ass…"

"He tries. Seeing as he has to put up with all these idiots here, including myself, it is reasonable. Besides, I can make up for it later my love!" Grell pulls Undertaker onto his feet, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him. Undertaker chuckles slightly.

"You're not an idiot, alright? And you will definitely make up for it later."

"8 O'clock sharp?"

"8 O'clock sharp." Undertaker turns to leave, but pauses and looks back at Grell, smiling. "And darling… don't be late."

"You know I won't, love…" Grell flashes him a shark-toothed grin before taking off to his own office. Grell couldn't bear to part with his love for long.

~Later~

"William, you need someone." Grell leaned against the doorframe going into Will's office. "Then, you could be happy and go out and enjoy life."

"I don't need someone. I'm perfectly happy."

"Of course you are. But still, if you found someone… it's the greatest feeling. I mean, I can't live without Undertaker, he's my everything, and I love everything about him-"

"I don't want someone else, I don't care, and I really don't care about hearing about him." William straightened out his papers from behind his desk, not bothering to look at Grell.

Grell looked a bit hurt. "… You should at least try Will. Now, seeing as I finished all my work, I'm going now. Undertaker is expecting me." And with that, the red-head bounded off, leaving William to moodily finish his work alone.

_I tried reasoning with him…_ Grell thought to himself as he walked away. Oh, well, it couldn't be help. William was as stubborn as always.

Anyways, all the red-head could think about was his upcoming date with his love. Time after time, he always manages to surprise me…

He was halfway through a thought, halfway out the dispatch's double doors, when it hit.

A pain. In the back of his head, in his chest. A feeling that was ice-cold, suffocating, dark and lonely. Empty of warmth.

He gasped, his steps faltering, and he reached for a wall, a railing, anything to keep him from falling. Something to prove he was still here, in this world.

_But I am in this world… aren't I?_ Grell couldn't think over the thought any longer as he fell, down into the arms of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 2- Condemnation

Undertaker straightened out the dark red table cloth, freeing it of wrinkles. Seemingly satisfied with the result, he then headed to the kitchen to pick out a large selection of ivory plates. _Hmm, extravagant indeed._ Still smiling to himself, Undertaker arranged two plates neatly on the table, and soon had clean silver cutlery set up with them. He folded the red napkins, checked occasionally on the food to make sure it was ready, cut up the meat neatly.

Everything was perfect.

He now just needed a certain red-head to come in and complete the perfect night.

Giggling softly with anticipation, Undertaker lit the tall red candles which stood proud next to the vases of red roses. He dimmed any other lights besides the candles', creating a dark atmosphere. Yes, perfect, almost perfect. His giggle rose to an excited laugh as he went to get the food, setting it up neatly across the table. It was definitely more than him and Grell could eat, but they both knew that they probably wouldn't be doing much eating.

"And now to wait…" Humming quietly, Undertaker sat in one of the chairs, taking in the masterpiece he had created.

_I hope Grell likes it. Wait… why wouldn't Grell like it? There is an abundance of red, everything matches, and EVERYTHING is fancy…Grell will love it._ Undertaker mused to himself over the tranquil scene, his eyes drifting over the walls.

He didn't mind Grell's house at all. While he was most comfortable in the coffin shop, he wasn't sure how much Grell would like a romantic dinner there.

_Technically, he once said that it didn't matter where there dates where, as long as I am there with him._ Still elated, Undertaker fiddled nervously with his napkin. Even though they had been dating for months, he still found it funny that he acted like a nervous school girl. Attempting to distract his mind, he went back to looking around the room.

Red walls with white bordering, black picture frames to surround all the photos Grell loved most. A clock, a large window looking out over the back yard. There couldn't have been a more calm and gorgeous scenery for such an occasion. Undertaker insisted on taking Grell out once a week to some sort of extravagant restaurant, which Grell agreed to.

In many ways, they definitely spoiled each other.

_Speaking of which, where is that red-head?_ Undertaker looked at the time to see fifteen minutes had passed. Grell should've been here a while ago.

_It must just be a hold-up at the office. William does like to overload on work._

But when Grell didn't' show up for an entire half hour, Undertaker began to worry. He stood up and started pacing, staring intently at the blood-red carpet. _Come on, Grell, where are you?_ Huffing, Undertaker then pulled his robe on more tightly, and headed for the door. He decided to go to the dispatch himself to see what was up.

* * *

William quietly finished stapling papers together, and then filed them away into their respective folders. He went over some other papers, placing them aside to go over tomorrow. Exhausted and tired, he just wanted to go home and sleep.

_Right, sleep…_

But how on earth could he sleep when the red-head was with HIM?

_Oh calm down, William, it's not like you two have anything special…_

_Not that you don't want it._

_No, never mind, you don't want anything to do with Grell…_

As William's mind held a conflicted battle over Grell, another shinigami just happened to wander into his office.

"Hello, William." Will glanced up to see Undertaker standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and a smirk fixed on his face. "Not too busy, I hope?"

"I was just leaving, if you actually needed something from me, come back tomorrow." William tossed one last look over his desk before walking out past the other man, hoping he didn't look obviously annoyed. Undertaker turned and followed Will out the door, moving quickly to keep up with him.

"Really? Of course, kind of selfish honestly, leaving while Grell does all the work." Undertaker smirked a bit more, a giggle threatening to escape him. He did enjoy annoying the other man, hoping it was working..

And of course, he was definitely succeeding in aggravating William.

"What on Earth are you talking about? If anything, I work the hardest here, not to mention stay the longest." William glared at Undertaker while picking up his pace, wanting to be left alone.

Undertaker wouldn't leave. "Right, of course, that why you got Grell here so late?"

"Again, what are you talking about? Grell is nowhere around, he left a while ago."

"Well, he hasn't arrived home yet."

"Maybe someone else held him up." William turned a corner, heading to the dispatch doors. He paused, then turned and looked back at Undertaker. "Look, I really don't know where he is, alright?"

"Fine, whatever." Undertaker shook his head, moving to exit out the doors too. "Just let me know if you see him."

_Like I'd do that. _"Of course I will." William stayed standing there before forcing a tense smile at him, then turned out the door. _God, I hate him- "…_The hell?"

William stared down at the steps, where Grell was lying sprawled out. He stood there for a few more seconds before Undertaker could be heard opening the door behind him.

"What is-….Grell?"

Undertaker froze behind Will, staring down at the still red-head. He was worried, and though his limbs urged him to move he couldn't help but stand in shock. Managing to pull himself back together quickly, he moved towards Grell at exactly the same time as William, and both of them said the exact same thing.

"My Grell!"

Undertaker paused and looked at Will. "….'_My Grell'?"_

William's face heated up, and he avoided the other man's gaze. "Um… yes, I mean… he's my worked… co-worker…. Well, subordinate, and it is my duty to take care of him-"

"…Right…"

"Oh, calm down, your 'beloved' is passed out and you want to worry about some trivial grammar mistake I made?" William kept avoiding his gaze.

"I'm not sure it's a grammar mistake…" Undertaker stared doubtfully at William, and William glanced back at him, his face hard.

"It was a grammar mistake. My point is, are we just going to leave Grell here?"

"Of course not, I'm taking him to the hospital." Undertaker stepped down to Grell's body, managing to keep down his worry.

"'_I'm'_?" William huffed a bit, feeling annoyed again.

"Yes, 'I'm', as in myself. You really want to come? You looked like you were in a big rush to get home." Undertaker scooped up Grell's body before looking back up at the dark-haired man. "Unless you want to wait hours on end in a tiny, suffocating waiting room?"

William squirmed a bit, but kept himself composed. "He is my… _colleague,_ and I am going to see that he is alright. So yes, I am coming." William then moved past Undertaker to stalk off towards the general direction of the hospital.

Undertaker watched him, feeling slightly perplexed but shook off any doubts he had as he followed him, holding tightly onto Grell. Grell was _his_, not anyone else's. No one could stop that, not even William.

* * *

**Alright! This was definitely a more successful chapter than chapter one… the prologue doesn't count, seeing as I needed it to be quick…**

**Anyways, let me know how it is! I don't want to feel that this story is just … useless…**

**Any grammar mistakes? Spelling mistakes? Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 3- Expiration

"So, what's the problem?" William questioned the nurse, his arms crossed as a sign of irritation. Irritated that it was taking so long to figure out what was wrong with Grell… irritation caused by the fact that no one here seemed to be competent in his mind… and he was even more irritated by the silver-haired man holding Grell's hand, whispering his name quietly, telling Grell to wake up. As if coaxing the stubborn red-head would do any good….

"We're working on it, the doctor will be in here soon." And with that, the nurse turned and left the room.

William frowned and turned around to look at the bed where Undertaker was still clinging to Grell's hand. Undertaker smiled wistfully, hoping Grell would wake up. Actually, he was pretty convinced Grell _would_ wake up… probably because he didn't want to face the fact that Grell was dying before his eyes.

William hesitantly walked over to him, touching the older man's shoulder. "You should get some rest…."

Undertaker glanced up, blinking with surprise for a moment. "Why?"

"Because we require sleep…" William felt a bit discomforted under the gaze, wondering what was off about it.

"I will be fine. Why do you care?"

"Multiple reasons… respect… worry…"

"Terrific." Undertaker looked back at Grell, squeezing the red-head's hand lightly. "But I'm not going anywhere until we figure out what is wrong."

"I was actually talking about _after_ we talk to the doctor, but alright." William resumed his steady pacing again, and Undertaker kept mumbling to himself.

After what felt like an hour to the two (but was more around 10 minutes), a doctor walked in. Tall, sturdily built, she smiled warmly at the two of them. "Hello, I'm Dr. Parsley-"

"_Parsley?"_ Undertaker cackled a bit, wearing a lopsided grin, and William sighed.

"I'm William T. Spears, and that's…." William stared at Undertaker, and the woman just shrugged.

"I know who you two are. And I know you guys wanted answers on what is wrong with that patient there." She motioned to Grell, and William nodded quickly.

"Yes, we did." William spoke up first as he looked at Undertaker, but the man only seemed to be trying to suppress giggles, so Will continued. "So, can you tell us?"

"Well… the thing is, we can't be certain. We've tried to look it up, and we've narrowed it down to a single possibility."

"Yes?!" William was getting antsy now, and he tapped his foot a bit. He wanted to know _right now,_ but the time this woman was taking to explain everything was getting on his nerves. Besides, he could take whatever news it was. _… I can take it, can't I?_ I couldn't be that bad… maybe he was just a bit sick… reapers couldn't get into comas, right? Besides, people could wake up from comas. And he was pretty sure Grell didn't have the thorns… God forbid if Grell _did_ have them…

The Doctor sighed. "Simply put; Mr. Sutcliff is dying. The funny thing is that he is aging like a human. But it seems to only have recently kicked in-"

"What?" William stared at her in utter confusion, but his interruption only earned him a glare from the Doctor.

"As I said, Mr. Sutcliff is dying from a natural way that kills humans; old age. He will slowly deteriorate. I think whatever caused this was dormant in a way. Which only brings into question _where_ it came from-"

"Dr. Parsley?" A nurse stuck her head in the door. "You were called in the other room."

"Got it Martha. Excuse me…" The Doctor quickly left, leaving William standing there baffled.

"Well…. That explains a bit. But as she said, how did this happen… Undertaker?" William frowned at the other man, who had gone quiet after giggling. He was sitting there, still holding Grell's hand, but a frown on his face. It sent shivers up William's spine to see such an unpleasant look on the man's face, and his discomfort only increased when Undertaker slowly looked at William.

"… I did this."

"… What?"

"I did this." Undertaker stared at William, his expression distant yet filled with silent anguish.

"Um…." William guessed that the man was undergoing some sort of break-down, which only made him more uneasy. Will wasn't that great at comforting and reassuring others… but he had a feeling that if this 'legendary man' had a nervous breakdown, everyone would regret it.

"I'm pretty sure it isn't-"

"It is…"

"You're probably just feeling… guilt. Or you're full of worry… feeling a lot of pressure right now…"

"You don't get it, Spears. _I_ did this. I know that because… I sort of failed… to…" His voice drifted off, and he avoided William's gaze, but Will only pressed further.

"Failed to do _what?"_

"… Failed to reap a soul. Well… you know the death book mark?" William nodded at the question, and Undertaker sighed. "You very well know, of course, that you can, in a way, postpone a person's death when you place it in said person's book and stuff... anyways, years ago, I came across a person, and I placed it in their book….."

"And?" William sighed, feeling yet again irritable, and Undertaker continued quicker.

"Well, that person was scheduled to die at midnight. They would've been killed by a murderer. It wasn't the murderer's time to go yet, and I wasn't interested in killing him anyways. So… I placed a book mark in the book of the person doomed to die. Because of that, that person _wouldn't_ be killed by the murderer, so it just sort of halted the events in a way. That person couldn't die by any 'outside' ways… but he would still die of old age. But he then later became a shinigami, so…"

William stared at Undertaker, an incredulous look on his face. _So… it was Grell. He saved Grell. But how does this influence everything now?_

"… Alright, I get what you did, but how is that the result of… this?" William pointed to Grell's unconscious body on the hospital bed.

"Because Grell's life was literally paused as a human, and he was supposed to die of old age. But somehow, Grell died anyways, and ended up as a shinigami, a death god. When you become a shinigami, your cinematic record and all traces of it are supposed to be destroyed from when you were a human. Then you get a new one for your new life. But I never removed the book mark of course. So I'm guessing that when the book was destroyed, so was the book mark. Therefore, even though there was no way to actually keep track of Grell dying, he was still going to die. And as I said before, the only way he could die without anyone interfering was of old age."

William nodded a bit to himself, beginning to understand it all but still confused. "Then how did he suddenly start to die?"

"Well, as I said, the records keeping track of his death were destroyed. So, say that Grell became a shinigami 30 years after his original scheduled death. That would mean that, after 30 years of being a shinigami, death would eventual catch up to him and he would… die… but I'm only guessing."

"And you were going to tell me this _when?_" William stood stoically, now infuriated at the other man. "Were you never going to tell me about this?"

"I didn't think I needed to! I mean, I'm only telling you what I know as facts, and what I'm guessing is happening! I didn't even think this could happen!" Undertaker stared with despair at Grell. "My love… dying… gone…"

William huffed a bit, uncrossing his arms. "Fine, terrific… but I have some questions."

"Yes?"

"How long does Grell have? Can we stop it? How do we stop it? And if the bookmark was placed in his book… then how did Grell die anyways? I mean, he obviously didn't die of old age if he became one of us."

Undertaker looked surprised and turned his head to look at Will. "…"

"… You don't know, do you?"

"Not a clue."

"… Fuck." William didn't normally swear, but he felt that there was a need for it. "… Alright, then I think that it's in our best interests that we figure out how to save him."

"You want to save him?"

"Don't you?"

"Of course I do! I was just wondering why you wanted to…" Undertaker was a bit perplexed. He thought William found Grell irritating, annoying, and just a plain nuisance. But then again…. if William was going to help him save Grell's life, who was he to judge?

"I want to because… because he's my colleague." William turned and headed for the door. "But anyways, I suggest that we get some sleep, and then head to the library."

"Why?"

"Because it's not good to pass out from both exhaustion and worry. _And_ because the library might hold some sort of clue to helping him."

Undertaker watched as William paused in the doorway to look back at him, and he sighed. "That's great, but I'll be fine sleeping here. Just to spend a bit of time with Grell. I'll let the Doctor know you left, and I'll tell her what we may have figured out."

William watched him with an unreadable expression before he nodded and left, and Undertaker turned to look at the red-head, reaching out to touch his cheek.

_I saved you once, Grell, I can do it again._

William headed home, knowing he probably wouldn't get any sleep. But what he needed most of all was some time alone.

_I know I can look in the library for some stuff… maybe check the archives… damn, there is so many questions still…_

William ran a hand through his hair as he left the hospital building, thinking about the other guy. He was honestly worried that Undertaker was going to break down….

As he continued to walk away, he then remembered the uneasy feeling he had when he looked at him._ … He wasn't smiling. He wasn't smiling…._

_Perhaps a sign of bad omen?_

* * *

**And once again, a pretty successful chapter! Pleaaaseeee let me know how this is people, even if it's just a one worded message or review or whatever… I do write for you guys! ^-^"**

**A big thanks to princessariellover876 and The Shadow Summoner for taking the time to review! **

**Any mistakes? Let me know!**


	5. Chapter 4- Passing

_"I really should be going now..." Grell laughed a bit, his hand smoothing down some of his unruly strands of bright red hair. Undertaker leaned forwards with a sigh to grab at the hand, pulling it closer to hold it._

_"Do you really want to leave so soon?" He placed the hand on his cheek, glancing up to pout at Grell._

_"Of course not..."_

_"Then don't..."_

_"I have work..."_

_"Work?" He kissed the hand lightly, his eyes meeting the other's. Grell blushed and laughed nervously, trying to pry away his hand._

_"Yes, darling. It's a job."_

_"You don't have to do it."_

_"I do. It'd be nice doing another job, but nothing else can entertain my attention." Grell pulled his hand free, then stood up and smoothed out his pants._

_"Nothing else? Not even me? Say, Grell, why are you so eager to return to your job? Has someone else caught your heart?" As the hand left his, Undertaker reluctantly stood up as well, another sigh escaping his lips. It was a habit of his, to sigh often when upset or sad, as if bored with the world._

_"No one else, darling. I have eyes only for you, of course." Grell giggled and smiled, showing off razor sharp teeth. He leaned forwards to plant a kiss on the taller man's nose._

_"No one else? You mean that?" Undertaker wrapped his arms around Grell's waist as he kissed his forhead, lingering for a few minutes to breathe in the sweet scent of roses._

_"You know I mean it, my darling, my love." Grell looked up at Undertaker, his red hair falling slowly into his face. "But William will get upset-"_

_"He is always upset about something." Undertaker slowly pulled away his arms, stepping back. "Some people need to learn how to laugh..."_

_"Of course they do." Grell leaned forwards to quickly plant a kiss on Undertaker's nose before whipping around, his red hair and jacket flaming out as he headed for the door across the room. As his hand closed around the handle, Grell looked back._

_"...Undertaker? "_

_"Yes, Grell? "_

_"I love you." Grell smiled in a way that showed undying live, admiration, happiness. Such a vulnerable smile._

_It drove Undertaker crazy for him, even if the redhead was anything but vulnerable._

_"I know. I love you to, Grell." Undertaker smiled back, and the red-haired Reaper continued to grin as he left, seemingly satisfied with something. The sunlight poured in through the door as it opened before slowly fading away after Grell's departure._

_Undertaker felt a pang of loneliness._

_Grell..._

_Grell, Grell, Grell, red, Grell, roses, coffins, Grell..._

_Red, red blood, beautiful Grell..._

_"Undertaker."_

_Grell._

"Undertaker. "

_Grell..._

"Undertaker?"

The voice startled him, and he sprang up as whiteness once again filled his vision. His heart beat quickly, and he whipped around to grab at the person, a small part of his subconcious wondering with hope if all the brightness was because Grell came back to the shop, to him.

"Grell?" He spoke needily, anticipation filling him, as he looked at the shiningami eyes of...

William?

"William?!" Irritation filled Undertaker's voice as he glared at the younger man accusingly.

William frowned, a bit scared and shocked at this outburst, even if he'd never admit it. "Yes, it's me. If you had listened to me and went home, you wouldn't have had a nightmare in the middle of this wretched hospital. And sir, if you'd be so kind as to let go."

Undertaker looked down to see he had a hold of the front of William's jacket, and he let go. "Sorry."

"I bet you are." William smoothed out his suit, and Undertaker turned around to look around the bright white hospital room, taking note of Grell on the bed.

"...Nightmare." It had been a dream. Not real. The roses, the smell of the wood in his coffin shop, hadn't been real. As Undertaker got his breathing and heartbeat under control, he turned to look at Will.

The other man just shook his head. "Yes, nightmare. Maybe there is something the doctors can give you-"

"Why?" Undertaker stared at him blankly.

"To help with your sleeping of course. Now, we should probably leave soon, so we can go through stuff at the library quickly." William promptly headed for the door, walking briskly. Undertaker watched him before looking back at Grell, the events suddenly catching up to him, and he headed out after Will.

As they left the hospital, William mentally calculated that it would take about 5 minutes to get to the library from where they were. Maybe they could check out the archives, old books which held things that may or may not be actual facts. They aslo had to look for Grell's cinematic record. They needed to know what went wrong, what was going wrong. Since time was of the essence, that would mean they should split up at the library...

He then thought about Undertaker. Or rather, specifically, his mental-state. The silver haired man was walking besides him, not saying anything. William knew the shinigami would be going through a lot in his head at the moment, but he hoped it wasn't too much to handle. Given what Undertaker knew about the situation at hand, he was a vital part of this whole thing. Hence why he needed him at his best at the moment.

To help Grell... yes, to help Grell of course. William was going to help save that idiotic red-headed shinigami if it was the last thing he did. That moronic, dangerous, red-loving bastard who is terrible at work, and who always causes problems, yet gives me a reason to show up at work _every morning _because of his _silly shenanigans. _Always causing problems in those_ red heels, that red jacket, so full of life-_

"You can be a funny man, Mr. Spears." William nearly tripped when Undertaker pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"I said you can be funny." Undertaker looked at him, a grin slowly coming across his face. "Please tell me you're not stumbling around because you're going to faint, I don't want to have to carry your heavy ass all the way back to the hospital."

As Undertaker burst into fits of giggles, William only shook his head. While he found teasing childish, he was glad to see Undertaker was reverting back to his old self.

"I was not aware I can be funny. And my ass is not 'heavy'." Sighing, William picked up his pace, his gaze glued to the path ahead. Undertaker sighed.

"Can't you take a joke, Will?" Undertaker began skipping along, and Will did his best to ignore him.

"I can, of course."

"Then act like it."

"No thank you."

"You can be a tad dull. Maybe you aren't funny at all..." Undertaker resumed walking, reaching up to brush his silver bangs out of his face, but they only fell back into place.

"I like being dull." William looked at him. "You need a haircut.

"I like my hair." Undertaker smiled. "It's different. "

"You like your hair, even though it gets in your way?" William shook his head with exasperation.

"So what if I do? You like being dull." Undertaker stuck out his tongue.

"That I do." William felt his lips twitch in the barest hint of a smile. "I like neat and orderly."

"Neat and orderly is for the weak."

"That's only because everything about you_ isn't._"

"True." Undertaker laughed again. "Wrong I have been... say, is that it?" Undertaker pointed to a tall whitish-grey building up ahead.

"You mean the library? Obviously. Honestly, you're a shinigami, but you don't even know what the library looks like..."

"I do, but I have no glasses on at the moment." Undertaker picked up the pace, wanting no more than to get started on finding a cure for his beloved Grell. William sighed once more.

"You're a strange man, Undertaker."

"Last time I checked, it was 'The' Undertaker. You forgot the 'The'."

"The 'The' is unnecessary. Either way, people are going to remember you for being a maniac who likes corpses..." William headed up the front steps of the building, shaking his head. As he reached for the door handle, he looked behind him to see Undertaker still at the bottom of the stairs. "What?"

Undertaker watched him, wondering about a multitude of things, before a smile creeped across his face.

"You know what, William? You might just have a funny bone in you after all. Wrong I have been...more than once..."

And with that, Undertaker headed up the stairs and walked through the entrance of the building, leaving a baffled William to process what he just said.

* * *

**Well, there you have it, chapter 4. Any mistakes, let me know!**


	6. Chapter 5- Departing

"I think we should split up." William voiced his thoughts outloud while glancing back at Undertaker. The two of them walked into the spacious hall, their black clothes standing out against the light scenery. Neither of them marveled at the decor, having seen it all one too many times. "You can check out Grell's record, the Reaper one. Maybe even look for his human one, if there are any remants of it, though I doubt there is anything left."

"And what are you going to do? " The elder Reaper wore his same smile, as though he found something hilarious. It unnerved Will.

"I'm going to the 'general' part of the library, where basic information is held. I'm going to see if there is any information on his condition-"

"She. And she will pull through." Undertaker interruptted, his voice strong and clear. He found it irritating when people referred to Grell as a 'he', albeit he did it sometimes to. But now that Grell was no longer by his side to correct him, he took it upon himself to 'defend his woman's honor', as one might put it.

William nodded slowly, trying to convince himself. He wished he had Undertaker's enthusiasm, his willpower. Even if he was crazy, at least he seemed..._normal._ Or at least what was normal for the older man.

Undertaker looked at his reflection on a marble pillar. Blurry, but still there. Unbeknownst to William, he wasn't quite... himself. Some flare in his life left, undoubtedly because of the red-headed reaper. He remembered seeing Grell on the ground, thinking maybe he- _she _was just having a fainting spell, which wouldn't surprise him, given how much work William demanded be done in the dispatch. But when the nurse walked in with the expression that was distant, cold, but a bit sad, he knew. He knew something was wrong.

_I've killed him..._ it was a thought that had been tugging at his mind, eating him alive. Torn between wanting to stay besides Grell's side and finding a cure, he chose the latter. Simply because starring at the paling face, the wispy and drying hair would drive him over the edge. Helping Grell was more productive...

"I'll be going then..." Undertaker headed to the record's section, away from William, who hadn't yet spoken. Cautious, feet not making a noise, he was gone like the wind. William didn't even bother to watch him take his leave, deciding to focus completely on the task at hand. _The key to success is absolute concentration on that success. I must not ley anything else deter me from my mission, for that may be the down bringing of my success. _

As Will headed off, determined to keep a steady mind, Undertaker passed rooms and corridors quickly yet silently. The smile he had been wearing faded away.

He chewed on his bottom lip, a habit that hadn't bothered him for centuries. His gait slowed as he rounded another corner, entering a large hall. All he had to do was find a book. The book. A human book. It would be somewhere in this room for sure, he was certain. Even if he hadn't given any thought to where the record might be, he knew the library with an intimacy that one could only get from years of repetition. Hours spent in these halls sorting, finding, filing. Watching over the souls of humans when they died, by means of these very records. Hundreds, thousands, millions of them, stacked on shelf after shelf.

And Grell's was hopefully somewhere in here.

Ignoring the stares and whispers he heard as he passed other shinigami, Undertaker continued to move at his painfully slow pace. He could find Grell's human record, if there still was one.

* * *

_Light..._

It moved slowly, the blackness and nothingness that it was scraping across a reality of which it didn't belong.

_It.. feeds..._

The coldness it brought hid in the corners, away from any light that it yearned for, yet despised.

_It... is delicious..._

It could sense the sweetness and love, the pain and grief. All mixed together: perhaps not the best soul, but one that was still worth something. And a divine scent to it as well...

_So divine..._

Heaven's light was leaving it.

_How... fascinating..._

Even with such a heavenly force clutching pitifully at the soul, it only made it brighter. A shining star amidst blackness.

_...I must have it._

* * *

There was one shelf. _One shelf _on the topic of souls and such. And the majority of them were old, outdated training manuals for new recruits. Not to mention, the shelf was in a small room, with a small door. At least, compared to the ret of the complex, it was small. One shelf, a stained glass window in front of it. Two tables at both ends of the shelf, dying plants drooping sadly on top of them.

"At least finding a book should be fairly easy." Will mused as he walked in, picking up a discarded book on the floor, and setting it on a table. He took easy strides to one end of the shelf, picking out the first book.

_"The new 16th Century Deluxe Edition on Soul Reaping._ How... debilitated. Not exactly a choice book anymore." William fitted the book into the space he found it.

"_How to Properly Wield One's Scythe. _ Pathetic." He moved to the next.

_"How to Succeed in the Reaper Work Environment. _ And why, it even has a picture depicting a posh looking lad on the cover. How whimsical. " He declared aloud, a touch of sarcasm lacing his voice. He had the intention to show it to the higher management. No reaper in the right mind should have to read such an audacity of the English language. He flipped open the book.

"_Reapers are known for their no-nonsense attitude, their impeccable taste in the classic suit, their styles only individualized by their glasses. As new recruits, it is mandatory to fit into your work environment to gaon success, and this how-to book will show you exactly how to do that!" _ William recited with happy enthusiasm before sighing, dropping the book on the table. "I was wrong. It is, in fact, an audacity of every language."

Shaking his head to wake himself up a bit, he continued through the books. Most of them seemed the same though. He didn't exactly like the books. Not because they weren't very informative, as they possessed a great degree of information. But Will was more of a hands-on type of learner. And some things, such as fighting and reaping a soul, couldn't be learned from a book.

He picked them up one by one, occasionally checking the contents on the inside. Indexes, definitions, words, letters, numbers, pictures. Reading some paragraphs mockingly, the boredom he felt was growing.

_Not boredom... numbness..._ whatever the feeling was, he willed it away with amusement. He surely seemed ridiculous, and William knew he would never act like this in public. But it distracted him a bit...

_Annotations of Our Kind..._ Will read the title in his mind, flipping through the pages. It appeared almost like some of the other books, words with definitions.

But is was unusually larger, thicker, older. Definitely something worth investigating.

* * *

_Such a bright light..._

The darkness fled down the halls, jumping from shadow to shadow.

_Sickeningly beautiful..._

It inched tediously before jumping, then began to flow slowly once more.

_These creatures, all of the divine..._

It could sense them all, but only one soul stood out.

_So close..._

* * *

Biting his lip, he opened the book's pages at random, a musty smell exuding from them. It talked about Angels in depth, something that the other books didn't hold. Intrigued, he skimmed through them even faster, finding interesting facts, small notes, all written down in ink. Soaking up information, taking note of the writing, some words were faded, smeared. He paused on a page.

It was like any other page, but flipped open easier, in a way that let Will know this page had been opened dozens of times before. Staring at it quietly, he slowly sunk to his knees, his eyes fixed on the page.

_The Thorns of Death... one of the only known ways to kill a Shinigami... 1000 souls..._

He lifted his eyes back up, staring at the books with intensity. The thorns of death were merciless, and cruel. But, even knowing what they could bring, he suddenly wished Grell had them. Only because at least there was a chance of his survival, a chance to save him, see him again. But no. Grell was dying of something no one had a name for. He was dying because humanity had finally caught up to him.

And William couldn't do anything about it.

Biting his tongue painfully, struggling not to make a sound, he looked back at the paper. Alan had died of the Thorns of Death. A coworker, a colleague. He had never gone as far to consider him a friend; Will didn't have friends. His job didn't let him. _Or perhaps I don't let myself have friends._ He remembered the day Alan had been diagnosed, the day everyone else was sad. Will didn't let himself be sad. He couldn't.

"And yet this time, I would gladly die for Grell, I'd take his place." The moment he uttered those words, he closed his eyes once more. Yes, he would die for Grell. _Because... he's a friend? A colleague? Just another person at the office... it doesn't mean anything._ He was thinking too much. It was giving him a headache, and his eyes were burning. Trembling, he flipped to another page, any page, in order to keep his composure.

But it struck something in him. People died before, shinigamis died occasionally. Mostly by demons, making it easier to kill those residents of Hell. And yet, now that Grell was dying, William couldn't bring himself to turn a cold shoulder. That ache in his chest would never go away. Grell was in a hospital in that very second, but Will was mocking the passsges of books, just so he could forget about Grell's state.

_...Perhaps I don't deserve friends. _

Shuddering, he struggled to pull himself together. If being cold-hearted helped him retain his sanity, he could be just that for now. He read on.

"How about... demons this time." Still shaking a bit, he read out loud. "Demons... soulstealers... claimers... attracted to... humans, particularly when a soul is exposed... this is useless..." William shook his head, laughing tensely.

"The human soul is delicate, even more so when detached... from a body." He hesitated. "Exposed in such a state can bring about demons, for such a light is bright in the eyes of the stragglers of the eternal abyss. Exposed..."

_Exposed? Exposed how?_

_Detached from a body..._

_Did the nurse even say Grell was in a coma? _

_But Grell isn't human, surely it's different. _

_Isn't it?_

Swallowing slowly, William forced down the queasiness in his stomach as he ran back to find Undertaker. They needed to check on Grell.

* * *

**Alright, there you have it!**

** Any mistakes, you let me know! **

**Any suggestions, let me know as well!**

** I changed the rating and pairing for good reasons, just to let you readers know. Decided to add smut in later chapters, cause I know how y'all people are into it ;)**


	7. Chapter 6- Ravaging

Undertaker was pacing back and forth, his eye glued to the book in his hands. It was nearly silent in this particular library section, occasional laughter and outburts sounding from afar. Undistubed, quiet, a suitable environment for the coffin maker. If he had cared, he would have rejoiced at this development. But his attention was elsewhere.

"Lovely..." he knew that, once he had Grell's book, he should find Will, and then head back to the hospital. Instead, he wad taking his time going tediously through the shinigami record, reading what he already knew. Training, reaping, killing, all things Grell had told him about in detail. When they conversed, which occurred often, it was always Grell going on and on about her day. The weather, her job, anything they could talk about, they did.

_"Darling, come to bed, I can fix your jacket." _On one particular day, Undertaker remembered the rain and thunder outside, the lightning flashing. A cold dreary day.

_"But I want to do it." _Grell had ripped her jacket, though she didn't tell Undertaker how. She decided to perch on the end of a coffin, stubbornly staying awake to sew the rip while pricking the tips of her fingers in the process.

_"Love, you're pouting."_

_"I'm trying to concentrate." _She snapped at him and poked herself again, letting out a litany of swears afterwards. A long pause of silence took place as she licked the small wound. Undertaker frowned.

_"You're being snappy. Please darling love, come to bed, I can fix it in the morning."_ He snuggled into a coffin, peering over the edge.

_"No." _Her lip curled in distaste at the wound.

_"Darling, please..."_

_"Nooo."_

_"If you really love me~"_

_"Oh, don't play that card with me." _She stood and skipped over to him, jumping on top to straddle his waist. She kissed the tip of his nose.

_"But that card works so well. " _He kissed her lips, and she rolled her hips in response. They both moaned quietly.

_"Be quiet for a bit."_

_"As you wish, my dearest love."_

Regret and sadness, sorrow. Maybe even pity. There was no love for Undertaker anymore, only memories. _I'm sorry, Grell._ He breathed deeply, trying to get past the feeling of his chest constricting, his throat closing up and choking him. He coughed a bit before laughing, then coughed again. Pausing, he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Death is losing its hilarity now,"He choked out, his eyes burning. He swiped at them, grateful that at least he hadn't started to cry. Still heaving a bit, he closed Grell's book in his hand and began to walk away.

* * *

_A woman was in there. A female, in bright white clothes, brown hair in a tight bun. The thing hissed at her in tongues, but she couldn't sense it. She was standing over a body, checking the body's pulse, adjusting its pillows. Nodding to herself, she left the room._

_The emptiness that the thing was slinked away from a dark corner, to the bed. The body lay on it peacefully. An invisible tendril reached out to touch the soft, silky red hair. It cringed away, the touch of a divine being pained it while the thing was in its weakened state. Forcing away the pain, its conciousness focused on the life force. Weak, but it was there. _

_And yet, the life force seemed to be buried away in the mind of the body, too far out of reach to get to._

_The thing could figure out a way to it though. _

_Perhaps, since the being was a shinigami... it must be taken like how shinigami take souls._

_Perhaps it must be cut out._

* * *

"Undertaker... Undertaker!" William paced around, trying to find out where Undertaker was. He was starting to get a bad feeling. Spinning around, he chose another aisle to walk down, shelves towering far above him.

"Undertaker! ... Hey, you three, have you seen Undertaker? " William glanced at some recruits, watching them impatiently. They stared back frightened, knowing William for his reputation of being a little more than strict. Will waited for them to answer, and they appeared to panic under his gaze.

"...Well?" He tapped his foor impatiently, before realizing his mistake. Many didn't really know Undertaker by any name, not even 'Undertaker'. They knew who the famous shinigami looked like though, everyone did. "He has silver hair, black, um, robe, he looks the guy they have a statue of in front of the library. "

At this description, they all nodded frantically, pointing to the right. Not bothering to thank them, William headed in that general area, looking around fervently. He was running low on time.

* * *

_Maybe normal human weapons would fail to cut it, those dull surgical knives and wires._

_Another nurse passed by outside the room, pushing a tray. The apparition watched her pass, taking note of a set of knives laying on the top. No, they might not work... but the small scythe strapped onto the woman's side might._

* * *

Undertaker heard his name, recognized the caller's voice filled with worry. _William..._ huffing a bit, he managed a smile to make himself look like how he usually did, then went off to find him. Which happened a few seconds later.

"Underta- _shit-_" Will managed to exclaim before crashing into a shelf, knocking some books, along with himself to the ground. Not to mention, he had dropped his glasses in the process.

"Someone's a bit clumsy." Undertaker giggled, watching the raven haired man push himself to his knees, his hands darting around on the floor.

"Shut up... I mean-" William sighed with exasperation, upset that he snapped at a superior, even if that particular superior was retired. "I lost my glasses."

"That would explain a lot." Undertaker set the book he was holding aside to clean up the mess.

"It's not funny."

"It kind of is."

"It is not... I found them." Satisfied, William placed his glsses on the bridge of his nose, pushing them up. Undertaker began putting books away.

"Good for you." Just as Undertaker was about to put away the last book, William stopped him.

"Wait! We might need that." William took back the book he found earlier.

"Ah, so you did do something useful. "

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing." Undertaker picked up his book. "I found this. Grell's shinigami record. You broke your glasses, by the way. And smudged them."

William frowned, but before he could do anything about, Undertaker took them and cleaned them off with his sleeve.

"You'll need to get the lenses replaced." He put Will's glasses back on him, pushing them up slowly, then stood back and smiled. William was taken back a bit, and blinked.

"..."

"I believe you were looking for me for a reason, Mr. Spears? " Undertaker waited patiently for an answer. William remembered why he was there.

"Yes, I believe Mr. Sutcliff is in trouble. I'd explain, but I'll do it when we reach him, we've already wasted time." With that explanation, William began to head for the front exit, his pace picking up. Undertaker ran after in confusion.

"What?"

"I'll explain later!"

* * *

_It unhooked the scythe, and the nurse didn't notice at all. Elated, the spirit crept back into the room, raising the scythe._

_It needed that bright, delicious soul._

_Bloody, bloody, blood red, it sang to itself as it brought the weapon down like an axe._

* * *

William knew, just knew something was off, wrong. He had begun sprinting as soon as he was out of the library, and was now at the hospital. He ran to the stairs.

"William, you're freaking me out." Undertaker followed, managing to keep up with him.

Will didn't answer. As soon as he was on Grell's floor, he ran down the hall, shoving orderlies out of the way. Undertaker stealthily dodged them, occasionally jumping over people who had falllen.

"William, slow down, you look like a mad man! They'll sedate you or-ump-" Undertaker ran straight into Will, just barely keeping himself upright. "Will?"

"Do you sense it?" William hesistated, his years of training kicking in, his senses on overload. It was like a whisper, a trick of the mind, but it was there. Along with the slight scent of sulfur.

"Huh?" Undertaker paused, still a bit dazed. William spoke quietly.

"... A demon."

The two looked at eachother before running down the hall, rounding a corner. The sight the saw made them stop dead.

Blood was on the wall of the hallway, and a nurse lay on the ground, a gash to the head. Blood pooled on the floor, almose making William and Undertaker slip as they rushed into Grell's room. On the inside, a doctor was holding up a spear, pointing it at something in the corner. William looked at it, dropping his book.

A slight apparition, like steam from a cup of tea, could just barely be seen. Whipping into action, Will pulled out his scythe, slicing at the demon. It danced out of his reach tauntingly, moving towards the doctor, who lunged at it with his spear. The thing jumped out of the way again, and William made another swipe.

"Foul creature," Will hissed through clenched teeth, his scythe hitting the thing dead on in its middle. It let off an ear piercing shriek as it charged, and William stood his ground, getting ready for the impact.

It didn't come. Just as the demon was about to pounce, Undertaker brought slashed it clean through the middle, and the thing wailed. High pitched, whatever it was made of turned into black smoke, slowly dissipating into nothing.

Breathing heavily, adrenaline flowing, Will looked at Undertaker, and the two of them shared a brief glance before the older of them looked at the bed. Undertaker's face paled.

"...No..." he croaked out, stumbling on week knees. William caught him before he fell, and he followed his gaze.

He wondered how on earth he missed the sight before.

Blood stained the white sheets, dripping onto the floor. A gash in the center chest, making it obvious it had been impaled multiple times. A scythe still sat in the wound, and William noticed the chest, just barely rising and falling. _Grell..._ Will didn't know what to be worried about more, the fact that a demon had attempted to slaughter his colleague, or that Grell was breathing. Like a human. Shinigami didn't need to breathe.

Will turned around.

"Undertaker, look at me... don't look at him, look at me-"

"She... she's dead..."

"He's still alive."

"She's dead!" Undertaker held onto Will for dear life, his eyes fixed on the gruesome sight. William looked helplessly at the doctor, who had gone to check on Grell. He could hear the rushing of feet, and more orderlies rushed in with security.

"We are going to have to ask you to leave."

"Sir, you need to go."

"We'll do everything we can."

Requests to leave the scene, and next moment, William found himself outside the hallway, staring at the ground. Undertaker was still holding his jacket, but Will didn't protest. Instead, he looked at the floor where the nurse was earlier. Her blood still pooled on the floor. Swallowing, Will managed to detach himself from Undertaker and head for an exit.

Fresh air greeted him, and he looked at the sky. It was noon... had he been at the library all morning? Soft clouds floated in the air... gagging, William leaned over and threw up, acid burning his throat.

_He's not dead._

_He's not dead._

_He's not dead._

He hoped, prayed Grell was alright. Those wounds though... god, the sight was horrifying. Spitting onto the ground, he collapsed against a wall.

"... shit... shit..." he adjusted his glasses, and closed his eyes. Tilting his head to the sky, he tried to remain calm. Numbness consumed him.

"...Will, are you alright? You dropped your book..." The voice was strained, and Will turned his head to see Undertaker standing a few feet away, a book in both hands. His eyes were red, dark circles under them. His grey sash he wore had blood near the bottom.

"There's blood on you." Will stared back, not moving.

"I know. I think I leaned in some blood on the floor, from that nurs-" Undertaker's voice cracked, and he looked away.

"Undertaker?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Undertaker looked back at him. Will looked away.

"For being too slow."

"It wasn't your fault. That demon wasn't anyone's fault, besides its own."

Will looked back at him, not sure of what else to say.

* * *

**Ah that was a... clifffhanger? A depressing chapter? Both?**

**I'm also making this whole-relationship thing a slow build... **

**Let me know if I made any mistakes! **

**Well, with that, I bid you adieu for now.**


	8. Chapter 7- Sorrow

"He's fine, you should sit." William insisted, filling two cups with tea. He glanced into his living room. "Sit. Make yourself at home. At least relax."

"_Relax?_ After what just happened?" Scowling, Undertaker did as he was told, taking a seat near a window. William sighed, looking in his dark wooden cupboards for sugar.

"Grell is stabilized. He'll live. The nurse and doctor are alright. No one else was hurt. Take comfort in that."

"What if a demon shows up there again?" Undertaker chewed on his lip.

"It'll be taken care of. People I trust are watching over him, and Ronald is in charge." William filled one cup of tea with a lot of sugar, meant for Undertaker. Getting himself a tiny bit, he stirred their drinks, tossed the spoons in the sink, then headed into the living room. Placing the cups on coasters, he took a seat across from Undertaker. Sinking into the couch, he enjoyed the quietness of his neighborhood, taking comfort in the fact that he was home, where he could relax more.

"You trust him?" Undertaker doubted the ability of Will's spontaneous colleague. He thought the boy partied too much for his own good. Or maybe he was just doubting him because he was still worried about Grell. Whatever the case was, nothing seemed to ease the tension he felt.

"Ronald? I do. Normally I wouldn't, but now I do. He's a distinguished... confidant. " William sipped his tea slowly before lowering the cup, his fingers wrapped tightly around the handle.

"I wasn't aware you had 'confidants'."

"Well, I guess he isn't really one. Just a coworker. Nevertheless, I trust hin."

"Interesting." Undertaker picked up his cup, swirling the contents about before downing the tea in one shot. "... This was good tea."

"Thank you. You know... if you feel awkward, you don't have to stay." Will looked out the window, watching birds fly by.

"Trying to kick me out already? And I don't mind, as long as you don't mind." Undertaker stared at his empty cup.

Will looked back at him, sinking into his own thoughts. After the hospital, after Grell was deemed fit for the moment, it was requested by a doctor that Undertaker and himself leave, catch up on rest. Will invited Undertaker to stay a while. Not only would their job be easier, but if any more trouble came up, the two of them could jump right into it. Will wondered if he should get extra clothes for him; Undertaker was still stained with blood.

"So, how did you know?" Will snapped back into reality at the other's voice.

"Huh?"

"The demon? How did you know the demon was going to be there?" Undertaker tilted his head with curiosity, his bangs parted slightly. William caught a glance of the yellow green eyes that were like his own.

"I didn't. I just had a feeling. Also... I read something in that book I had." Will answered slowly, turning his head to look at the book. The same one he found at the library, sitting on a table in the corner. Grell's book was beside it.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'd show it to you now, but you might want a bath. And clean clothes, at least until we wash yours." Will stood up, heading to the hallway. His house was a two story, with the living room, dining room, and located kitchen at the bottom. He headed upstairs, Undertaker's steps following behind.

"That sounds lovely."

"I have a guest room, two, in fact. Both have bathrooms, so take whichever you like. My bedroom is at the end of the hall, by the window." William stepped aside in the hall, making room for Undertaker.

"Which one would you suggest?" Undertaker looked around.

"Um... well... this one, I suppose." William chose the one beside his own room, pushing the door open. The walls were light blue, the floor beige. A King sized bed was in the middle against a wall, with a table and lamp on either side. One large wardrobe and dresser were on the right with a door between them, and a large window was on the left.

"Nice room. Reminds me of a beach." Undertaker walked in, sinking onto the bed.

"It's a bit bright, but this bed is larger than the one in the other room. The bath is through that door. I'll look for some clothes for you." With that, Will left the room, walking towards his bedroom. He crossed the grey carpet to his dresser. His own bedroom had white walls, with black and grey fabrics adorning everything. The furniture was a dark wood. He went through his drawers, picking out a white shirt, black vest and pants. A dark jacket, this one long, meant for the rain or cold London days. It'd probably suit Undertaker more than him anyways.

When he was done, he headed back into Undertaker's room, pausing in the doorway. The room was empty, but the door to the bathroom was slightly ajar. He could hear the tub being filled.

Quietly, he put the clothes on the bed and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"Thanks for the clothes." Called Undertaker as he entered the kitchen. He grinned. "They are a tad large."

"You're welcome. You really should eat more though, you're thin," Will answered, pulling out some dishes. He glanced at Undertaker, freezing for a moment. The older male looked rather... handsome in those clothes. They showed his frame nicely, and the long coat really _did_ suit him. Will looked away.

"Is that why you're cooking right now?" Undertaker leaned against a wall to watch him. William shrugged, filling up their plates.

"I thought you might be hungry. I didn't realize how much time had passed, it's already 7. I made sausages, mushroom soup, salad, garlic toast-"

"Please tell me you didn't prepare a whole five course meal."

"Of course not. I'm barely even certain that I can finish half a plate, much less eat that much food." After speaking without thinking, William froze. He glanced at Undertaker catiously.

Undertaker waved his hand nonchalantly. "Don't explain, I understand. You did throw up earlier. Let me help."

Will nodded, picking up the plates and taking them to the living room. Undertaker got some glasses and what he thought was wine, then picked up various spices, not sure which ones they would be using. He picked up six different bottles for good measure, carying them to the living room, where the table was set. He went back to get the glasses, setting them on the table with the wine bottle.

"Thanks." William sighed, taking the cork off of the bottle, then filled his glass nearly to the brim. Undertaker raised an eyebrow.

"Becoming an alcoholic, are we?"

"Oh shut it. I'm tired, I have a headache, and I want everything back to normal."

"I know what you me." Undertaker filled up his glass as well, then began eating. "...Hmm... this is really good."

"What were you expecting." Will quietly ate some salad.

"I don't know. I just didn't guess you were a cook. But, being a bachelor, it'd make sense."

"Hmmm..."

The room descended into silence, both of them in their own thoughts. William sighed again and took a long swig of his glass, downing almost all of it quickly. He placed the glass back down, and resumed eating, tapping his foot on the floor. Undertaker watched with fascination, feeling curious.

"... Are you alright?" Undertaker asked tentatively.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Will didn't look up.

"You threw up earlier. You seem stressed, and not 'loud' stressed. You seem rather quiet. You are obviously tired. The person you like is in the hospital-" At this point, Will looked up, confused, and Undertaker laughed slowly. "Oh, calm down William, I know."

"Know... what?" Will wasn't going to give in quite easily.

"That you like Grell. I realized it today. Well, actually, I think I knew a long time ago, but I was in denial. But whatever. It's nothing." Undertaker went back to eating, and Will stared at him baffled.

"... It's 'nothing'?"

"Yes." Undertaker shrugged slightly.

"You seem rather calm."

"I am calm. Before... I didn't really like you. Because some part of me knew you liked her. But after today, and yesterday, I knew you'd do anything for her. And I... admire you." Undertaker set his fork down.

"Why? You should hate me." William sat back. "I used to hate you."

"Why did you hate me?"

"I was jealous, I suppose. You are famous among our kind. I looked up to you. You were the epitome of what I wanted to be. Then you got Grell." Will shook his head slowly.

"But you no longer hate me?" Undertaker prodded.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because, I could never fully hate you anyways. You were perfect, and Grell was happy with you. You cut down that demon today like nothing. You are still here. You seem sane... at least, what sane is to you. And then there's me. Just me." Will looked down again.

"That's... ironic. I thought the opposite. Yes, I cut down that demon, but only a few seconds later. I was too caught up in Grell's condition to fight right then. I'm hardly sane. I broke down today. You kept yourself composed, controlled." Undertaker sat up, smiling sadly. "That's what Grell loves about you. That you are strict, reserved. You can hold yourself together in a crisis. I'm jealous myself, because of you. Not to mention, you invited me into your home, gave me clothes, and food. I am thankful."

"But it doesn't matter, because you got Grell. He loves you." Will still didn't look up, choosing to eat silently. Undertaker watched him before resuming eating.

"Grell is a_ she. _And I suppose I do."

After finishing their meals, they took their plates to the kitchen. Will started to fill the sink befire being interruptted.

"I'll clean the dishes. It's the least I can do." Undertaker rolled up his sleeves and got a cloth, preparing to clean the dishes. Will nodded.

"Thank you."

"Oh, and Will?" William looked back at the older male, who was smiling creepily. "Ever think about taking Grell away from me, and I'll kill you."

"Understood. " After a curt nod, William headed to bed to attempt getting some sleep.

* * *

"So, I believed we practically wasted yesterday evening." Will was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Having failed miserably at sleep, he got up early to start the day. He might as well do something useful.

"And so you decided to get up at 5 am?" Undertaker yawned and chuckled, heading to the dining room to sit. He placed his head on the table.

"I did. Thought you might be hungry."

"I am."

"Good." Will put a plate of pancakes in front of him, placing a bottle of syrup nearby.

"So, are we going to talk about that book you found?" Undertaker sat up and began to eat, enjoying the sugary taste.

"I'll bring it in with the coffee. Also, I got you some toiletries, such as a tooth brush, floss-"

"How wonderful." Undertaker snorted a bit, wolfing down more pancakes. His appetite seemed to be coming back rapidly. "And I supposed you went out this morning to get those things...?"

"Yes, of course, I wanted to treat you like royalty and I went out before 5 am to get you things." Will exclaimed sarcastically. He grabbed the book off a table wiht one hanf, then balanced the tray holding their cups with the other. He dropped the book on the dining table loudly. "There you go. And I already had supplies around for guests. It's no big deal."

"Oh, seems like a great deal of information." Undertaker winked before opening the books cover. "I like."

"That's good, though, honestly, you're kind of creeping me out. Now, if you don't mind, I'm having a quick bath." Will headed for his room.

"You didn't have you breakfast yet."

"I'll pass for now, I can always eat it later. When I'm finished, we can talk about out next course of action-" William paused, smiling slightly. "-_sir_."

"Great plan, it works for me." Undertaker got back to eating, using one hand to flip through the book. Will sighed and shook his head. The older gentleman still confused him.

* * *

**Alrighto! I'm just saying now, the smexy smutty time may pop up in the next few chapters. If I am asked for it, I may give it ****sooner.**

**I used a bit of sassy Will for this chapter. Sassy Will is ***_**SASSY**_***.**

**Feel free to correct me for any mistakes. **

**Until then, adios! **


	9. Chapter 8- Repose

William played with the bubbles, lifting his hand from the water to watch them pop. The water was hot, but not scalding, and he sank in deeper, enjoying the leisure moment he desperately craved. Phantom aches and pains bothered him, and with a sigh, he tilted his head back against the tub rim.

He was tired.

Taking advantage of his alone time was selfish, but sleep was making him forget. He didn't really care. Struggling to stay awake, he opened his eyes to look at the pale ceiling. The blue walls closed around him, and yet were calming.

_What am I doing with my life?_ A question that had been bothering him for a while. Grell's seemingly imminent death had brought these doubts and worries, and he was questioning his life, his very existence.

Death was supposed to eventually claim all.

It was tightening its grip around Grell's soul, leaving only him and Undertaker to fight it.

Once allies, they were now enemies. Death against the shinigami.

Undertaker was his new ally. The thought was slightly comforting.

Will remembered yesterday, remembered that demon. He could still feel the satisfaction that flooded his being when he killed it. The adrenaline and pleasure flowing through his veins.

"Will? I really need to talk to you." Undertaker's voice was slightly muffled by the door.

"Why? I'm in the bath."

"Like I said, it's important. Can I come in?" Undertaker did make it sound urgent, his voice filled with nervousness. William looked down, deciding that with all the bubbles practically up to his chin, it didn't matter. He groaned and reached for his glasses on the nearby counter, placing them gently on his nose.

"Fine, come on in."

The door opened quickly, Undertaker looking tired, the book wide open in his hands. He began laughing.

"That's a lot of bubbles you got there."

"Be quiet. What did you need to so desperately show me?" William glared threateningly, annoyed that he had been interruptted.

"No need to get snappy, bubbles are fine. It's kind of adorable actually-"

"Undertaker-"

"Right." The older shiningami crossed the room, getting as close to Will as possible. Trying to ignore the creeping awkwardness, Will sat up to look at the book, fighting away his blush.

"What am I looking at?"

"What you've looked at before, I'm presuming. It's about a soul that, when exposed, is attractive to demons." Undertaker looked at Will, wearing his best serious-face. "You see, demons go after souls, obviously. They can now take it from Grell because his humanity is catching up to him."

When he paused, Will looked up at him confused. "I fail to see your point. I mean, this much was sort of obvious."

"I know. But, if you think about it, that demon should have got to Grell's soul quickly. It didn't. Something was stopping it, so it resorted to hacking it from her body, much like our kind do-"

"Yeah, thanks for the mental image." Will frowned, causing Undertaker to look hurt.

"Sorry."

"Whatever. Can you get to your point."

"As I was saying, it couldn't get the soul out physically. Demons drain out souls, and it couldn't even do that. Meaning... Grell's soul isn't really there."

"... What?" Will stared, his eyebrows furrowed. He was struggling to understand. "That doesn't make sense...and wouldn't Grell's soul be more exposed?"

"Yes, and no. Grell is slowly dying like a human, but she's still slightly one of us."

"Alright...I get it... kind of. So... isn't Grell safe?" Will was trying to wrap his head around this whole concept. Undertaker shrugged.

"Well, her soul is a beacon, but it's also tied to her body. At least until she dies. That means demons will mistake that her soul is till inside the body. Which it isn't. But that raises another question. " Undertaker began to flip through some pages, while Will looked at the ceiling exhausted. He was beginning to know where this is going.

"So... where is his soul then?"

"If not here, it's on another plane." Undertaker kept flipping through pages.

"What, like... Heaven?" Wil was baffled.

"Possibly, but not likely. I found other old definitions in here. According to this book, the highest, or 'holiest' plane, is Heaven. Then purgatory, then our plane, which is the Earth plane. Next is limbo, then Hell." Undertaker finally halted on a page, lifting the book to display a picture to Will. On top were angels and humans side by side, next were the pictures of holy saints, then humans. Under them were humans walking, looking lost and alone, their faces haunting. Finally, at the bottom, were demons, their grotesque bodies keeping the damned with them, not relinquishing their power over the weak humans.

Will looked at the bottom of the picture, shuddering. "You don't think Grell is...?"

"In Hell? No. Not limbo either, since he most likely isn't a damned soul. He is of the divine, therefore, I think he's in-"

"Purgatory. "Will murmured, leaning forwards to get a better look at the picture. His movement caused water to splash onto his glasses, obstructing his vision. Terrific, just what he needed. "Ah, shit-"

"Allow me." Undertaker took his glasses, and began to clean the lenses.

"Um... alright, thanks. Again. So... what do you suppose we do?" Will closed his eyes, tilting his head to rest on the side of the tub. Undertaker looked up, admiring the way the dark locks looked so black when wet. Some strands fell onto Will's face, over his closed eyelids, but Will was too tired to mind. Undertaker watched for a bit, wondering if he should tell Will to get some sleep, but he didn't want to nag.

"... I suppose we find her soul in another plane. If it is separated from the body too long, that special connection holding the two together may sever. A demon can then get her soul." Undertaker held up the glasses to the light, and deeming his job accomplished, he perched them on the edge of Will's nose. Will didn't bother to open his eyes.

"That isn't good... so, we check out purgatory." Will yawned, more of his hair falling out of place. Undertaker slowly pushed the loose strands back into place, his hand lingering a second too long. Will didn't notice.

"We do. We'll need help..." Undertaker swallowed, then inhaled deeply. The smell of soap was thick in the room. It smelled like pomegranate. He hesistated before reaching out to push some hair behind Will's ear once more, enjoying the silky texture. Will's eyes fluttered, but he didn't bother opening them yet. He was in deep thought, trying to figure out who could help them, but he couldn't think of anyone.

"Hmm... who can help?" Will frowned a bit, opening his eyes to look up, his head leaning into Undertaker's touch. He frooze, seeming to realize what he was doing. "...uh..."

"..."

Undertaker moved his hand to cup his cheek, his nails scraping the fair skin lightly. His breathing quickened, and he felt a twitching in his stomach. Giddyness. Almost without thinking, he leaned forwards to brush his lips against Will's, closing his eyes. The smell of pomegranate was stronger now.

Will balked for a moment, unable to move. The touch was comforting, but he knew he should pull away. He could smell the detergent on the clothes he gave to Undertaker, and he could feel his silver bangs tickled his face. His eyes were still open, but he didn't pay attention to anything he saw. All he sensed was the other's lips moving against his. He lifted a hand, moving it to grip the back of _his_ neck. He closed his eyes.

Undertaker's face held the barest hints of smile, and he pressed harder, his other hand lifting to grip Will's hair. He tugged at it lightly before running his tongue on Will's lower lip.

Will responded quickly, opening his mouth, feeling the tongue press on. Will moved closer, his other free hand supporting himself against the tub. The movement caused the water to ripple and splash, some of it landing on the floor. He tasted sugar, a sweet taste. A moan escaped, and heat rose to his cheeks. Undertaker didn't notice, instead gripping him harder, nearly forgetting to breathe for air. He bit on Will's lower lip.

This brought Will back to reality. Suppressing a gasp, he pulled away at the delicious pain. As much as he was enjoying the intrusion, he needed to stop.

"... Undertaker..." he opened his eyes slowly, letting go of the other man. Gasping, Undertaker pulled away.

"Uh... I..."

"... This didn't happen...?" Will spoke slowly, his voice quiet. Undertaker paused before nodding.

"Yeah... yes. It didn't happen. It was a mistake." Undertaker stood up, picking up the book he hadn't realized he dropped on the floor. "... Just a mistake."

"Of course." William looked away, a blush rising to his face as he tried to compose himself. Without saying another word, Undertaker left quickly, nearly slipping on some water. He closed the door behind him.

Will watched before silently cursing, sinking a bit deeper into the tub. He felt guilty. Was it wrong to kiss someone if they had a partner, _if _the kiss was an accident? If it was a kiss that meant nothing? He hoped so. He remembered the night before, when Undertaker threatened him if he ever went near Grell like that. Did he still feel that way? Why did he kiss him?

"Just... the stress. It's getting to him." Convincing himself, Will got out of the tub, grabbing a towel to dry himself off. He walked to the door and opened it, only to find his bedroom empty, with its door closed as well. A bit of rejection tugged at him, but he pushed the feeling down, away to the far recesses of his mind. Opening his drawers, he pulled out some clothes and got dressed, his movements lethargic. It was best to put the moment behind them.

* * *

Undertaker had gotten the hell out of that room as fast as he could. He ran into the guest room, collapsing on the bed.

"What was I thinking? I just..." _I just kissed Will._ He laughed, nervousness knawing at his insides._.. why did I do it? If Grell finds out..._

God, he couldn't face Grell. He could imagine it...

_Hey, Grell, while you were dying, I was making out with Will. In his bathroom._

"I just fucked up... no, no, we can out this behind us. Like nothing happened." Undertaker stared up at the white ceiling. He lifted his hand to touch his lips, remembering the slight minty taste. It was still there, lingering... a reminder of a mistake. His mistake.

Suddenly, he heard Will's door, open, and a slow shuffling outside his door. The footsteps carried on down the stairs.

Summoning up all the courage he had, Undertaker left the security of his room and headed downstairs. He found Will finishing his breakfast quickly before downing his coffee. Neither of them said anything as the minutes ticked past.

"So... Will..." Undertaker walked towards him, his gait slow. "... I..."

"You said we needed to find someone to help us earlier, right?" Will interruptted him as he lifted his head. His gaze was steady, conveying a silent message. _Just forget about earlier. _ Undertaker was happy to comply.

"Yes, but I wasn't too sure who we should find." Shrugging off most of the uneasiness, Undertaker sighed.

"I do." Will replied, a hint of contempt in his voice. Undertaker raised an eyebrow.

"You do?"

"I do. We should leave now. You can check on Grell, and I'll get him." Will grabbed his jacket, pulling it on quickly. Undertaker was faced with a reminder of his own wet clothes, and a trace of guilt stabbed at him once more. He was already getting better at ignoring it.

"Who are you getting." Undertaker headed for the door with Will, avoiding looking at him. Will paused as he reached to open the door.

"Someone who might know more than us. Sebastian Michaelis. "

* * *

**And there you have it! **

**Yes, I brought Sebastian into this! He might possibly play a large part later... *cue evil laughter***

**Until next time, Au Revoir!**


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